Gyeongsangbuk-do(Gyeongju-si)

The tomb of General Kim Yusin (595-673) is Historic Site No. 21. It is located in a scenic area thick with pine trees, on the eastern hill of Songhwasan Mountain.Known as the Hero of the Silla Kingdom, General Kim Yusin was the great grandson of King Guhae, the last king of the Geumgwan Gaya Dynasty, and the son of Seo Hyeon, a great general of the Silla Kingdom. Yusin joined the Hwarang (aristocratic youth military corps) at 15 and began dreaming of ways to unify the peninsula’s three kingdoms.Kim Yusin gained his political foothold by establishing a strong relationship with nobleman Kim Chunchu and made a name for himself through his valor on the battlefield.When Kim Chunchu eventually succeeded to the throne as the 29th king of the Silla Kingdom (changing his name to King Muyeol), Kim Yusin rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the extraordinarily high-ranking position of Sangdaedeung in the year 660 (7th year of King Muyeol’s reign). Kim Yusin then went on to defeat the Baekje Kingdom in cooperation with the Tang Dynasty, also later conquering the Goguryeo Kingdom in the year 668.The Tang Dynasty turned against Silla after the collapse of Goguryeo, but was defeated by Kim Yusin’s army in cooperation with the armies of Goguryeo and Baekje. With the fall of the Tang, Kim Yusin finally realized his dream of unifying the three kingdoms and was appointed the highest government post in Silla in honor of his heroic achievement.The tomb of General Kim Yusin is a large tomb measuring roughly 30m in diameter. The relief carvings of 12 Oriental zodiac gods (half man, half animal) stand guard around the tomb, brandishing weapons. The elaborately decorated tomb is second in grandeur only to those of royalty, further underscoring Yusin’s major contribution in unifying the three kingdoms.The path to this tomb is also a sight not to be missed. The street leading up to the tomb is called Heungmu-ro, and has been selected as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Streets in Korea. The street is full of cherry blossoms in spring and is famous for being a great place to take a walk or go for a drive.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Insadong・Jongnon

Situated in the gallery district in the back alley of Samcheong-dong (east of Gyeongbokgung Palace), the World Jewelry Museum houses 3,000 jewelry pieces from 60 countries, which have been collected over 30 years. Of which, 1,000 have been selected for display. The first floor contains an Amber Wall that goes back as far as 50 million years, the Golden Hall (El Dorado), the Necklace Hall, and the solemn Alter of the Cross. The second floor holds a mask wall, rings, beads and ivory as well as modern jewelry.


Gangwon-do(Gangneung-si)

Ojukheon is an important house which shows the lifestyle of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It is one of the oldest preserved Korean houses. In Mongryongsil room of Ojukheon, one of Korea's great men, Yulgok Yi-I (1536-1584) was born. It is told that his mother Sin Saimdang, also a heroin in Korean history, had dream of a dragon before she gave birth to Yulgok. In rememberance of his birth, the Yulgok Festival is held annually at Ojukheon. There are many traditional materials and regional remains which are displayed in the private museum. You can find the painting of Yulgok in Munseongsa (the ancestral shrine of Yulgok).In the Yulgok Memorial Hall you can see the artwork of the talented Yulgok family. In addition, various Buddhist artwork, ceramics, pictures and common living appliances are on display in the Folk Tradition Hall, History Culture Hall, and the outdoor exhibition area. Near the Ojukheon Municipal Museum is Gyeongpo Beach and Sungyojang, the house of a high-class family of the Joseon Dynasty. At Gyeongpo Beach, you can relax sitting by the sea and the pine tree forest. You can also stop by the Chamsori Museum where about 1,600 phonographs from Edison's inventions to up-to-date audios are kept.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Danyang-gun)

Located in Danyang, Danuri Aquarium houses a lot of fish with a wide array of fish species from Korea and overseas countries, consisting of 13,000 fish of 83 species and 2,000 fish of 62 species, respectively. Visitors can enjoy a wide selection of fish including Siniperca, a traditional fish from Namhangang River, sweetfish and Korean bitterling, as well as various fish species from other countries all in one spot. Also, the aquarium offers a special sightseeing point, in the form of a fish tank decorated with the theme of Eight Scenic Views of Danyang.* Fish tanks: 82 exhibition tanks, 36 habituating tanks, approx. 854 tons* Display state: 145 species from domestic and overseas countries, 15,000 fish (83 from Korea (approx. 13,000 fish) / 62 from overseas countries (approx. 2,000 fish)


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Daehangno・Seongbukdong

Ihwa Mural Village is located in Ihwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul-si. The local Public Art Committee carried out the Naksan Project in 2006 to improve the local environment of Ihwa Village. Approximately 60 artists painted walls and installed artworks for the project. Visitors to the village can enjoy looking for and viewing the beautiful murals and sculptures in the village.


Incheon(Ganghwa-gun) , Ganghwado Island

Ganghwa History Museum opened in 2010, and is located inside Ganghwa Dolmen Park, which was designated as UNESCO World Heritage Historic Site No. 137.The museum aims to exhibit, preserve and educate about the history and culture of Ganghwa from prehistoric ages to modern times based on artifacts from the area.


Seoul(Jongno-gu) , Samcheongdong・The Northern Part of the Seoul

If you are an owl lover or enjoy seeing handcrafted pieces of art, the Owl Museum is the place for you. This owl themed museum is filled with pieces of art, crafts, useful household items and accessories. The items here come from over 70 countries including China, the United States, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Over 2000 pieces can be found right under one roof.Owl themed folding screens, dishes, vases, sculptures, and even owl stamps are among the diverse selection on display here. When people think of an owl museum, an image of a stuffed owl usually pops into their heads. No stuffed owls can be found at this museum. It is full of many unique items.The Owl Museum was originally a private residence. The structure was remodeled and made into a museum, but managed to keep its original charm. The owner’s second son, who majored in design, chose owl wallpaper to add to the unique atmosphere. Visitors to the museum are treated to a free, tasty cup of tea.


Gyeonggi-do(Gwangju-si) , Namyangju

Located in Nogobong Valley in Taehwasan Mountain in Gwangju-gun, Gyeonggi-do Province, Konjiam Resort is only an hour away by car from the Gangnam area in Seoul. The year-round resort boasts the largest ski slopes of Gyeonggi-do Province, a condominium with 476 rooms, the nation’s first residential spa, and a variety of other facilities.Some of the most unique features of the resort are the ecological stream running through the resort and the cave wine cellar where about 90,000 bottles of wine are stored. Another visitor favorite is the Konjiam Arboretum, which has 3,700 species of plants and about 20 themed gardens.


Chungcheongbuk-do(Cheongju-si)

Cheongju National Museum collects and preserves national cultural treasures. The first thing to do when you enter the museum is to obtain various pamphlets at the information desk, from which you can get a lot of information on the museum. The Sangseol Exhibit is the most important place in the Cheongju National Museum. Here you will mainly see displays of artifacts discovered in and around the Chungcheongbuk-do area. In the first division of the exhibit, the Seonsa Room, you can see treasures from the Guseok Period, Sinseok Period, and Cheongdong Period. In the second division, the Samhan-Samguk Room, various artifacts from the houses and tombs of the Samhan and Samguk Periods are displayed. In the Unified Silla-Goryeo (918~1392) Room are displayed the clay pottery, metallic pottery, and gold artifacts used in daily life or related to Buddhism from the Silla and Goryeo Periods. In the fourth Joseon-Go Print Room, you can see the treasures discovered in Chungcheongbuk-do area from the Joseon Period (1392~1910), such as Buncheongsagi and Baekja ceramics. The most carefully decorated room in the Sangseol exhibit is the Children’s Exhibit. It was built to let children experience and learn the culture of Korea’s past. It is also a very helpful place for foreigners who do not know the folk culture of Korea. You can experience first-hand various traditional Korean sounds, such as Dadeumi sound. You can also see a traditional Korean wedding and funeral with all their associated customs in small miniature models. The funeral service shows “sangyeo”, which is not generally known to foreigners. Sangyeo was a device used to carry dead people to their graves. All the miniature models are very detailed and very charming. Besides these, you can try wooden mask printing and the Takbon, as well as tools used by people in the past in the Learning Room. You can try creating clay pottery here as well. 


Jeju-do(Jeju-si) , Former Jeju

The clear waters that are highlighted with cobalt-blue and the clean sand of Gimnyeong Beach (김녕해수욕장) steal the hearts of visitors every year. The beach is popular with fishermen who enjoy rope fishing from the rocks. This area is known to be good for catching striped beakfish and spotty belly greenlings. Not far from the beach is Manjanggul Cave, which offers a welcome escape from the daytime heat.